Tag Archives: The Secret Theatre

BORO Magazine will be hosting a fun day of live music, food from more than 40 unique vendors and drinks from the all-Queens Beer Garden with the Long Island City community at the popular market, located at 5-25 46th Ave., on Saturday, July 25, from noon to 4 p.m.

Money raised during the party will go toward The Secret Theatre, a local nonprofit cultural institution located at 44-02 23rd St.

To join the party, at the entrance of the Flea there will be a pack of two raffle tickets sold for $10, and each additional raffle ticket will be $5. A free beer from the Beer Garden is included with each ticket purchase, and visitors get a chance to win prizes. Partygoers are asked to meet up at the Beer Garden .

Entertainment for the day includes live music and a DJ, cornhole and kayaking on the East River.

A rain date for the party is set for the following day on Sunday, July 26.

Along with recent celebrity sightings, including Oscar winner George Clooney, Astoria is ready to continue shining with this year’s Queens World Film Festival — bringing over a hundred unique local and international films to the booming borough.

The festival, celebrating its fifth year running, will take place from March 17 through March 22 and feature 117 films, with 19 works from Queens. The films include short and feature narrative, documentaries, animation and LGBT pieces.

“It will be a week of something for everyone,” said festival director Katha Cato, who arranges the event along with her husband Don and a group of volunteers. “I’m so excited about the caliber of what we are about to expose Queens to.”

This year the six-day festival, which officially received a nonprofit status this year, brought in over 400 submissions from across the nation and around the world.

“Five [years] just feels like I can breathe a little bit. We made it to year five and that’s important,” Cato said. “We are experiencing and feeling it.”

The festival begins on March 17 at 8 p.m. at the Museum of the Moving Image, located at 36-01 35th Ave. in Astoria. The evening will feature a block of six films, including two from Queens filmmakers.

“You can do any kind of shot and any type you want in Queens, to represent any nation or any demographic. You can find it somewhere, somehow in this borough,” Cato said. “You can create a lot of different worlds here and with these studios starting to understand that and with a film festival, this could be a huge industry here in this borough.”

The short narrative “Short Steps” by Queens filmmaker Laura Aguinaga is one of 19 Queens films at the film festival.

Opening night will also recognize director Leon Ichaso, known for movies such as “El Cantante” starring Jennifer Lopez, as a “Spirit of Queens” honoree. The festival will also present Ichaso’s film “Bitter Sugar” on March 18 at the Museum of the Moving Image.

Throughout the festival, the independent films will be divided into different blocks based on subject and shown at venues such as The Secret Theatre in Long Island City, P.S. 69 in Jackson Heights, and, for the first time, daily showings at the Museum of the Moving Image.

“It’s about pairing [the films] together to create the proper context so they all look, sound and feel the way the filmmaker wanted it,” Cato said. “And we are creating community within these filmmakers who are perhaps on the same journey and might perhaps work together [in the future].”

Closing night of the festival will feature a screening of the film “Dukhtar (Daughter)” by Afia Nathaniel and be followed by an award ceremony at the Museum of the Moving Image.

“I just hope everyone knows that a lot of love went into this festival and we’re going to fix any mistakes we encounter, but we want you to really experience the films,” Cato added. “Just experience them, don’t judge them. It’s a different medium, there aren’t studio films.”

Borough President Melinda Katz, one of the night’s speakers, said that the festival was not only a great project for all the filmmakers and volunteers involved, but also for helping brand the borough of Queens.

“We are the most diverse place on the entire planet. We are extremely excited by this,” Katz said. “We are telling the international audience that we are here, we are strong. Diversity is the greatest asset that we can give the entire world here in the borough of Queens and this film festival proves it every day that we are having it.”

Organizers Katha and Don Cato, who were introduced by Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, welcomed the audience and shared what they’ve done in the 365 days since last year’s festival. They then went on to describe what the next five days would bring for the borough.

“It’s an incredible opportunity for us and one we are very happy to share it with everyone,” Katha said.

Don encouraged the audience members to go see all the films over the next few days.

“What I want you to experience is the unique opportunity that all of these films have and let them just wash over you,” he said. “Let them inform you, experience them, open yourselves up to them and enjoy them for what they are.”

Before the first block of films was shown, the festival honored Carl Goodman, executive director of the Museum of the Moving Image, as one of the 2014 Spirit of Queens Honorees for his leadership.

“Something wonderful is happening here,” Goodman said. “New York City is becoming decentralized. Manhattan is a borough, Queens is a borough. They’re all boroughs and there’s no inner or outer. I like to think about it as Manhattan being the shining surface of the city and Queens being the substance.”

Independent filmmaker Hal Hartley was also recognized as a Spirit of Queens Honoree. Before accepting his award, the crowd got a taste of his eight minute short narrative from 1994 called “Opera No. 1.”

The night ended with a party at Studio Square just a couple blocks away from the museum.

Throughout the six-day festival, which goes until March 10, a total of 127 films including short and feature narratives, LGBT pieces, documentaries and animation will be divided into subject blocks and will be shown at venues such as The Secret Theatre and The Nesva Hotel in Long Island City, and P.S. 69 in Jackson Heights. During the festival there will be 16 films screened from Queens filmmakers.

The festival will also screen the world premiere of the director’s cut of the Oscar-nominated documentary “The Act of Killing” on Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. at P.S. 69.

Films will also be given awards on the final night of the festival.

For a full schedule of the festival visit here. Tickets for the festival are $10 for regular admission and $6 for students and seniors. To purchase tickets visit here.

The Queens World Film Festival, which brings together local and international filmmakers, will take place from March 4 through March 10 and feature 127 films, with 16 works from Queens. The films include short and feature narratives, documentaries, LGBT pieces and animation.

“We’re going to remind the world that Queens is the birthplace of the [film] industry in America,” said festival director Katha Cato, who arranged the event along with her husband, Don.

In the year since the last festival, Katha was diagnosed with three types of cancer and has had to undergo various surgeries and chemotherapy.

However, she continued to work on the festival, which brought in over 300 submissions this year.

“We’re very excited; we’re in very good shape,” said Katha. “It’s the love of my life, next to Donald. It’s a very fulfilling and challenging job. It’s sustained me as I imagined standing at the podium many times when things weren’t quite pleasant.”

The “big excitement” for this year’s festival is the world premiere of the 159-minute director’s cut of the Oscar-nominated documentary “The Act of Killing.” The film will be shown at P.S. 69 at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 6.

Awards will be given to films on the final night of the festival.

“To be able to reach out to so many people is a really pretty amazing opportunity- we are certainly not doing it for the money,” said Don, who, together with a screening committee, choose the festival’s award winners. “We just keep it going because we started this thing and we’re trying to build something.”

Tickets for the festival are $10 for regular admission and $6 for students and seniors and can be purchased online here.

Thursday: Snow, heavy at times, will become mixed with sleet or freezing rain this afternoon. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds NE at 25 to 35 mph. 5 to 8 inches of snow and ice expected. Thursday night: A wintry mix this evening will transition to mainly snow overnight. Low 32. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Snow and ice accumulating 3 to 5 inches.

EVENT OF THE DAY: The Unlikely Ascent of Sybil Stevens

The Secret Theatre is pleased to announce a three week limited engagement of Kari Bentley-Quinn’s production of “The Unlikely Ascent of Sybil Stevens,” directed by New Voices Co-Director Christopher Diercksen. Main character Sybil Stevens is a Chicago-based flight attendant who finds her life completely changed when she is the sole survivor of a devastating plane crash, and has to deal with the unexpected aftereffects of both the crash and her newfound fame. The Secret Theater is located at 44-02 23rd Street in LIC. Shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday start at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $18. Through Feb. 23. Click here for more info or to submit an event of your own

Cuomo says de Blasio pre-K tax plan is unfair to rest of state

Mayor de Blasio’s tax-the-rich plan to finance pre-kindergarten classes will be rejected in Albany because it’s unnecessary and would actually increase education inequality in the state, Gov. Cuomo declared Wed­nesday. Read more: New York Post

Million dollar luxury watch theft bust

High-end jewelry and watch stores were the target of a four-man crime spree that authorities say hit luxury stores in New York, New Jersey and Virginia for more than a million dollars of watches. Read more: Fox New York

Comptroller to de Blasio: Don’t get involved in arrests

City Comptroller Scott Stringer on Wednesday criticized Mayor de Blasio for personally intervening when a politically connected preacher pal was busted by cops — saying “the mayor shouldn’t be involved in any way when someone gets arrested.” Read more: New York Post

Study: Mammograms do not improve survival rates in middle-aged women

The value of mammograms is being questioned by a comprehensive new study. Read more: CBS New York

Comedian Sid Caesar dead at age 91

Sid Caesar, a giant of the Golden Age of Television, has died. Read more: AP/CBS New York

Queens Museum
New York City Building, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
718-592-9700 www.queensmuseum.orgHours: Wednesday through Sunday, 12-6 p.m.Suggested Admission: $8 for adults and children over 12; $4 for students and seniors; Children under 12 attend for free.(THE COURIER/File photo)

The Noguchi Museum
9-01 33rd Road, Long Island City
718-204-7088 www.noguchi.orgHours: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday: 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Monday & Tuesday: Closed.Admission: General admission: $10; Senior Citizens: $5 ; Students with a valid ID: $5; NYC public high school students with a valid ID: Free; Children under 12: Free; Members: Free; On the first Friday of every month year-round, Museum admission is pay-what-you-wish.(Photo courtesy of the Noguchi Museum)

CHECK OUT A CONCERT OR SHOW

From a classical concert to a dramatic play, the local arts are alive at the borough’s concert halls and theatres. Here are some places to catch a local performance.

World Ice Arena at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Avery Avenue and 131st Street, Flushing
718-760-9001 www.worldice.comHours: Monday through Friday the rink is open from 9 a.m. until 5:15 p.m. On weekends it is open: 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. Friday nights; noon until 4:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. until 9:50 p.m. Saturdays and noon until 4:45 on Sundays.Admission: $5 for all ages on weekdays and $8 on weekends and holidays. To rent skates be sure to bring socks and an additional $5.(Photo courtesy of the World Ice Arena)

The No. 7 train will soon be going through another round of suspensions causing it to not run in parts of western Queens and Manhattan for more than a dozen weekends this year, starting in the end of February, according to a notice from the MTA.

This news again upset residents, business owners and local politicians who gathered in front of the Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue subway station on Friday to tell the MTA they are fed up with the constant disruptions and the lack of notice.

“Real people’s lives are affected in real ways here, this is not a game,” said Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer. “This is about human beings, they’re trying to survive and the MTA is trying to kill us. We’ve got to stop this now.”

From February through July, there will be 13 weekend suspensions. Those dates are finalized, the transit agency said. There are nine tentative weekend shutdowns scheduled for August through November.

Business owners are tired of potential financial losses, residents are sick of longer commutes and local politicians just want the MTA to finally listen to their ideas and communicate with the neighborhood.

“It outrageous and all we are asking for is the opportunity to be heard, to present some common sense ideas that we have presented to them year after year after year,” said Senator Michael Gianaris, who has suggested the MTA offer a shuttle bus from Vernon Boulevard through the Queens Midtown Tunnel into the city. “The MTA needs to listen to us once and for all.”

Rebecca Trent, LIC resident and owner of The Creek and The Cave on Jackson Avenue, said the area has grown by 500 percent and the suspension will only make business owners’ jobs harder.

“I don’t know how I’m going to survive this, I do not know and neither do many of my neighbors,” Trent said holding back tears. “What they are trying to do to this neighborhood is disgusting, we deserve better, enough is enough.”

Along with the shuttle service through the Midtown tunnel, Trent also said that in order to compensate the Long Island City community for the “irresponsible shutdowns,” the MTA should give local businesses, who will suffer, free ad space at the E and G subway stations and on the trains.

Richard Mazda, artistic director for The Secret Theatre, said he has had to put up with the disruptions to his business every single year and has faced problems during the annual LIC Arts Open festival, with artists and friends not being able to attend.

“You must have known that you were going to do this work, you have stage managed the release of this information so that we couldn’t fight you, but we will,” Mazda said to the MTA. “This is like the worst movie you have ever seen.”

The latest round of work, including continued installation of Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC), replacement of critical track panels and reconstruction inside the Steinway Tube under the East River, is expected to modernize, improve a fortify the Flushing No. 7 line, according to the MTA. The work will also include tunnel duct reconstruction and replacement and improvements on components damaged during Superstorm Sandy.

“We understand that these service disruptions are inconvenient to the customers who depend on the No. 7 train and we appreciate their patience,” said MTA NYC Transit President Carmen Bianco. “We have made every effort to schedule these project simultaneously to get as much work done as we can during these periods.”

Oliver! The Musical at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City is a refreshed version of this theater classic, presented in a contemporary Steampunk style with echoes of the darker Charles Dickens original and all the twists. Thursday-Sunday through December 22. Click here for more info or to submit an event of your own

Queens student from Baruch College dies in fraternity pledge ritual

A college freshman from Queens died Monday after he was injured in a fraternity hazing ritual. Read more: The Queens Courier

Bill proposed to make pot legal in New York State

There’s a proposal to make New York the third state to legalize marijuana. Read more: ABC New York

NYC to require flu shots for young children in day care, preschool

New York City will soon require young children who go to preschool or day care to get flu shots. Read more: NBC New York

MTA to test motion sensors, lasers in effort to curb track deaths

The MTA plans to test several different forms of technology that would alert train conductors to a person on the tracks in an effort to curb a rise in track-related deaths, according to a published report. Read more: NBC New York

Poll: strong opposition to in-flight calls

As federal regulators consider removing a decades-old prohibition on making phone calls on planes, a majority of Americans who fly oppose such a change, a new Associated Press-GfK poll finds. Read more: AP

You can’t miss her. Cameran Hebb is one of those charismatic, effortless beauties who kind of immediately captures your eye in any crowd. And not just because she is wearing a T-shirt with the words “boobie trapped” printed in neon pink.

When you enter The Queens Kickshaw, where she is a barista and bartender, her warm smile is apt to melt your heart. And her charisma can instantly become passion, conviction and authority.

When Hebb first auditioned for “keepingabreast,” a new play written by Jackie Rosenfeld, she instantly knew this piece of theater was something special.

After playing the lead character, Mina, during the play’s premiere at the Cherry Lane Theater as part of the 2012 Fringe Festival, she also knew that the final curtain should not fall on the show during the festival.

“The audience kept saying things like, ‘this is the way theater should be done,’” she explains, “and it just confirmed what I already knew.”

She immediately envisioned a next life for the play—which opens with a young woman being advised by her doctor to have a mastectomy after failed chemotherapy. The story is told through a series of vulnerable, sometimes sexy, sometimes hilarious, but always poignant vignettes chronicling the woman’s journey to decide what course of treatment is best.

Hebb reprises her role as the cancer-stricken lead character, with multiple other roles played in rotation by Lyndsey Anderson and Andy Ingalls—who portray family members, strangers, friends, even a drag queen. The new production is directed by Sharone Halevy.

Upon receiving a startup grant from the Queens Council on the Arts, as well as a sponsorship by Long Island City’s The Secret Theatre, Hebb found herself just a Kickstarter campaign away from breathing new life into the piece—this time with an outreach component (you can still contribute on the kickstarter page). A fundraiser held by The Queens Kickshaw also helped with funding.

The new staging, this time produced by Hebb herself, will run during national Breast Cancer Awareness Month, from October 18 through the 26. It will be held in the “Little Secret,” a 50-seat black box theater that lends itself perfectly to the intimacy of the piece.

As an outreach, a select number of seats will be reserved for those in the community suffering or impacted by cancer who otherwise might not be able to afford tickets. Seats for the public sell for just $15.

“I mainly just wanted to open a dialogue,” says Hebb. “In a world where we so easily disconnect, this play pushes past that in way that is so human, alive and authentic.”

Thursday: Mostly cloudy in the morning, then overcast with a chance of a thunderstorm and a chance of rain. High of 86. Winds from the South at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Thursday night: Overcast with a chance of a thunderstorm and rain showers. Low of 68. Winds from the SW at 10 to 15 mph shifting to the NNW after midnight. Chance of rain 60% with rainfall amounts near 0.4 in. possible.

EVENT OF THE DAY: A View From The Bridge

A View From The Bridge, Arthur Miller’s fiercely compelling drama about love, belonging and betrayal, based on a true Brooklyn “love” story, will be at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City from September 12-21. Click here for more info or to submit an event of your own

Mayoral primary politics resumes after 1-day silence

After abstaining from campaigning on Sept. 11, the candidates emerging from New York City’s primary elections are expected to break their silence. Read more: AP

There’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing sexually harassing a seamstress at the venerable Brooks Brothers factory in Queens, a lawsuit charges. Read more: New York Daily News

Push made to designate 9/11 a national holiday

For more than a decade, people have come to the World Trade Center site on Sept. 11 to reflect and remember. But this year, one voice among many called for something greater. Read more: CBS New York

Sunnyside Gardens residents seek to foil metal Aluminaire House from coming to their historic district

The owners of a futuristic aluminum-and-steel home are struggling to drum up support to bring the noted building to a brick historic district. Read more: New York Daily News

New York plans to opt out of new insurance rules

New York’s top financial regulator said the state plans to opt out of new U.S. insurance rules as the framework does not compel life insurers to hold adequate capital reserves for paying out customer claims. Read more: Reuters

Thursday: Overcast with a chance of rain, then a chance of a thunderstorm and rain showers in the afternoon. Fog early. High of 77. Breezy. Winds from the SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70% with rainfall amounts near 0.3 in. possible. Thursday night: Overcast with a chance of a thunderstorm and rain showers. Fog overnight. Low of 61. Winds from the South at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80% with rainfall amounts near 0.7 in. possible.

EVENT OF THE DAY: Romeo and Juliet

Country reels and iambic pentameter come together in a new twist on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City. This production places the famed feuding families in rural America in the 1930s and focuses on the ability (or inability) to express love. It also highlights the youth of our tragic lovers and their cohorts, as the younger Capulets and Montagues run around like rival, hormonal Little Rascals gangs. Click here for more info or to submit an event of your own

Three charged with kidnapping, holding Queens man for month in $3M ransom attempt

Three men have been arrested for kidnapping a man off a Jackson Heights street and holding him in a warehouse for a month in a $3 million ransom attempt, the district attorney’s office said Wednesday. Read more: The Queens Courier

Tightened security at some NYC sites after soldier’s brutal murder in London

The NYPD has increased security at the British Consulate and other sites in New York, following an attack in London that left a soldier hacked to death Read more: AP/CBS New York

A state appeals court has upheld the 2011 firing of a hot-headed Queens teacher who tried to bribe a student into saying nice things about her. Read more: New York Daily News

Union claims FDNY Is underreporting response times to close more fire houses

The firefighters union is accusing FDNY Commissioner Sal Cassano of deliberately underreporting the time it takes for fire trucks to arrive at an emergency. Read more: CBS New York

Suspects in New York-Canada train plot due in court

Two men accused of plotting to blow up and derail a passenger train as it headed into Canada from New York are due in court Thursday. Read more: ABC New York

Obama to address drones, Gitmo in security speech

President Barack Obama on Thursday is expected to address some of the thornier aspects of national security policy, including drone strikes, the prison at Guantanamo Bay and the dire threats Americans continue to face – even from fellow citizens. Read more: AP

Thursday: Mostly cloudy in the morning, then clear. High of 73. Winds from the WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Thursday night: Partly cloudy in the evening, then clear. Low of 55. Winds from the West at 5 to 15 mph shifting to the North after midnight.

It was a month ago that Anthony Weiner re-emerged, granting interviews to NY1 and other media outlets, testing the waters for a mayoral run. Now, he’s prepared to dive in. Read more: NY1

Rockaway co-op: City damaged our property

The city’s rush to re-open Rockaway beaches by Memorial Day is undermining an oceanfront co-op’s efforts to repair its own damages from Superstorm Sandy, according to its board members. Read more: New York Daily News

Queens woman gets 1 To 3 years for jumping bail after stealing man’s life savings

A Queens woman who jumped bail after being convicted of swindling more than $800,000 was sentenced Wednesday to one to three years in prison. Read more: NY1

President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he was “angry” at IRS officials who inappropriately targeted conservative groups for scrutiny, announcing that his administration had sought and accepted Steven Miller’s resignation as interim commissioner of the IRS. Read more: NBC News

White House releases Benghazi emails, seeks to defuse controversy

The White House on Wednesday sought to defuse controversy over its handling of last year’s killing of four Americans in Benghazi, releasing emails that show how Obama administration officials presented a scrubbed-down version of the attacks to the public. Read more: Reuters

No winner pushes Powerball jackpot to $475 million

If your Powerball ticket didn’t win Wednesday, don’t worry. No one else’s did either, pushing the jackpot to a near record. Read more: ABC New York

Wednesday: Overcast with a chance of snow and rain, then snow and rain in the afternoon. High of 43. Windy. Winds from the NE at 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 40 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Wednesday night: Overcast with snow and rain, then snow after midnight. Low of 32F with a windchill as low as 19. Windy. Winds from the NNE at 25 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph. Chance of snow 80% with accumulations up to 2 in. possible.

EVENT OF THE DAY: I Love You, Apple, I Love You, Orange – World Premiere Screening in LIC

The dramatic independent feature, I Love You, Apple, I Love You, Orange, written and directed by NYU graduate Horam Kim, will have its world premiere at the Queens World Film Festival at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City at 7:45 p.m. Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Click here for more info or to submit an event of your own

Fetish website creator takes stand at ‘cannibal cop’ trial

A Russian man who operates a fetish website where prosecutors say a New York police officer met others interested in killing and cooking women told a jury on Tuesday that users enjoy talking about gruesome topics including sexual asphyxiation, sex with dead bodies and cannibalism. Read more: ABC New York/AP

Queens Rep. Grace Meng is asking a federal judge to go easy on her father when he’s sentenced for a bribery scheme. Read more: New York Daily News

No raps in FBI shoot

The off-duty FBI agent who opened fire from his bedroom window on three punks breaking into his car in Queens last July will not be charged with a crime, The Post has learned. Read more: New York Post

Elected officials receptive to USTA expansion in Flushing Meadows if concessions are made

Park advocates are up in arms after discovering a letter from elected officials intimating they may be receptive to a controversial expansion in Queens’ flagship park — under the right conditions. Read more: New York Daily News

TSA to allow pocketknives, some sports equipment

Small pocketknives and an array of sporting equipment — banned from aircraft cabins in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — will once again be allowed in U.S. planes, the head of the Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday. Read more: CNN

Venezuelans mourn Chavez, prepare for election

Shattered supporters of Hugo Chavez mourned his death in a flood of emotion that allies of the socialist leader hope will help ensure the survival of his self-styled revolution when voters elect a successor. Read more: Reuters

The 3rd Annual Queens World Film Festival is just around the corner, with organizers and filmmakers from near and far ready to take the stage.

“Brooklyn has an identity, Manhattan has an identity, everyone has an identity, except for Queens,” said festival director Katha Cato who arranges the event along with her husband, Don. “Everybody needs to understand this is a great place to see films and to make films.”

The festival, which brings together international and local filmmakers, will take place from March 5 – March 10 and feature 104 films, with 19 works from Queens. The films include shorts and feature lengths, documentaries, animation, fantasies, LGBT, “regular ol’ boy meets girl,” and many more.

The six day festival begins at 8 p.m. at the Museum of Moving Image in Astoria with a block of seven films and will also honor City Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer for his years of service to the borough.

The opening night films include five international, one from Brooklyn and one animation movie called “Planet Utero” from Queens filmmaker Faiyaz Jafri. Along with Jafri, other Queens films include William Cusick’s feature narrative “Welcome to Nowhere” and Flushing native Adrian Manzano’s “BQE.”

The celebration of independent films will continue at venues such as the Jackson Cinema in Elmhurst, The Secret Theatre in Long Island City and the Renaissance Charter School in Jackson Heights.

“It’s all about bringing people together,”said Cato.

The films are divided into different blocks based on subject and will each have a host organizing the night. Guests will also have the opportunity to interact with filmmakers in Q&A sessions afterward.

“You want people to talk, to be engaged in the film. Whether they enjoy them or not,” said

Cato. “We are trying to build community here.”

Also, 50 guests will be able to reserve a package for a “Dinner and a Movie” night on Wednesday, March 6. Hosted at Armondo’s Italian Restaurant in Elmhurst, the $50 price tag includes a cocktail, appetizer, entrée and dessert. Once the film lovers have enjoyed their dinner, they will be able to take a walk down to The Jackson Cinema and enjoy a film block called “Grace Under Fire.”

On the final night of the festival, films will be awarded Crystal Globes and all winning films will be rescreened at The Secret Theatre.

“We really hope that all of New York picks up their ears and listen to what’s happening in Queens,”said Cato.

Tickets for the festival are $10 for regular admission and $6 for students and seniors and can be purchased online at www.queensworldfilmfestival.com. To reserve a package for “Dinner and a Movie,” call Armondo’s at 718-429-8552.

Thursday: Partly cloudy in the morning, then clear. High of 43. Winds from the NNW at 5 to 10 mph shifting to the West in the afternoon. Thursday night: Partly cloudy. Low of 37. Winds from the SW at 5 to 10 mph.